Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data indicate that approximately
three-fifths of all work related amputations involved a worker's finger
or arm getting caught or compressed by a piece of machinery such as a
press or conveyer (BLS, 1997). Injury statistics compiled by OSHA indicated that
49 percent of the injuries from mechanical power presses
resulted in an amputation.

Power presses are used to work on metal or other material with cutting, shaping, or combination
dies attached to plungers, platens, or slides (rams). A press consists of a
stationary bed or anvil, and a slide. The slide has a controlled
reciprocating motion toward and away from the bed surface and at right angles
to it. It is guided in the frame of the machine to give a definite path of
motion. Power presses are used in a wide variety of industries to punch,
shear, and form metal and other materials.